Does EVERYBODY Have to Weigh In?

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Does EVERYONE Have to Weigh In?

by Johnny Roebuck on Monday, March 26, 2012 at 4:10pm ·

It's a tragedy that young Trayvon Martin lost his life. It is when ANYONE dies so apparently violently. There are so many facets to this story, that I won't even attempt to begin to expose them in this venue. The media has turned this incident into a divisive episode as people with a lack of the facts make judgements. Some say that the neighborhood watch guy George Zimmerman should be arrested and charged, and some like the Marxist, terrorist, New Black Panther offering a reward for his "capture." What do they intend to do? Have a Lynching?

Others have decided Zimmerman is innocent, again, without knowing all the facts.

It wasn't very long ago, that some Duke athletes were falsely accused and tried in the "court of public" opinion. Some really stupid things have been said, like Geraldo Rivera's comment that the kid wouldn't have gotten in trouble had he not been wearing a "hoody." Seriously, Geraldo? You, of ALL people should know better than to think that way. We fought in the sixties, wearing our hair long and being called "hippies." I, for one, never was one at ALL. I know you were, but the point is, what we both fought so hard for is to stop labeling people, stop judging books by their covers.

One guy I heard sites the police's urging of Zimmerman to "not do that" with regard to following Martin, yet does NOT believe the police report that Zimmerman was within his rights.

Every day, new facts are coming to light, despite those who take early positions. I got cursed at for my position that I don't have a position. That in THIS country, at least for NOW one is innocent until proven guilty. No, it's NEVER proper to kill a "17-year-old kid." But there are SOME 17-year-old who can even kick the Buck's butt, and they'll tell you.

People need to keep a level head about this and see what happens when all the facts are disclosed. Some reports make no mention of Zimmerman having been beaten to a pulp and that it's HIS voice screaming on the 911 tape.

Meanwhile, I forgot the numbers but last night heard the stats of how many black kids die at the hands of black kids every day in this country and it's not reported, because it apparently doesn't make for good "film at eleven" coverage. What a shame.

Yes, it's a shame that Martin lost his life. It will be a further shame if thugs Lynch Zimmerman especially if it turns out he was innocent. Calm the heck down and let's see where the evidence points. Gee, I just sounded just like Horatio!

I Did it Again!

I keep doing it. I don't really expect different results but I keep falling for it. There are seasonal foods in the fast food world that come around. Some good, some not. I always look forward to the MacRib when it comes around. ALways a treat. There seem to be forces out to put MacDonald's out of business. Not sure of their motives, but they probably violate the principles of some weirdo cause or another. God bless 'em. Hope they continue to. I've had my fill of causes and people being super-sensitive. This coming from one of the most sensitive people on the planet, so in that regard I guess I win the hypocrite tee shirt. Make mine 3XL!

Arby's has never failed. Never failed to disappoint me, give me heartburn, gas and that burning sensation from their cardboard-flavored conglomerate of preservatives, chemicals and parts of animals that years ago would have been either thrown out or fed to the hogs. Hey, maybe it still IS fed to the hogs. "Have you seen the little piggies in their starched white shirts?" (G Harrison)

Their roast beef isn't either roasted or as I can tell beef, unless you count beef noses, tongue, horns, hooves, cow udders, etc. which I guess TECHNICALLY are "beef" and it always tastes to me, with the gourmet tastebuds like not only cardboard, but BAD cardboard.

The latest is something they have the audacity to call the "Super Reuben." The taste is in the ball park, and I don't know what's really in it? But it's no Reuben. Who ever Reuben was is spinning in his grave saying "Why the world didn't I copyright the NAME!!!!?"

Never again. Famous last words.

I Have Often Said

...that the founders of rock'n'roll, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and the like should have obtained a copyright on "Rock'n'roll" although they were not the ones who coined the phrase. That's accredited to Alan Freed. Shoot, even R&B can no longer honestly stand for Rhythm and Blues, since the recordings coming out in that genre contain neither. Hey, I guess labels aren't much good.

Connie B Gaye coined the name "Country Music" and complained about its demise when I interviewed him in the early 1980's (He was from Lizard Lick originally)

If only he could see things now.

Connie shared some things I cannot share in this venue, but I WILL share that Col Tom Parker, Elvis' manager offered to sell Connie his contract once. Do not recall what time that was, but it was in cooperation with Gaye that the Colonel had Elvis appear on a small fifteen minute show on what was then WMAL Television, channel 7 in DC. A young fellow named Jimmy Dean, way before "Big John" his hit record, or the sausage empire.

Dean lived across the street from the Hagers, friends of mine and used to share the story of when they saw a pink Caddy out front and noticed Elvis getting in and followed him a ways. Three guys started a fight with Elvis at the Esso station up the road and were in pretty bad shape after the King kicked butt. That's their story, and I'm sure they're stickin' to it.

So rock no longer rock's and many proclaimed as stars of the genre wouldn't know it if it came up and bit them...well, you know. We've already addressed R&B and Connie, who coined the phrase "Country Music" wouldn't recognize it now, save the nasal and yodel same ole.

Sometimes change bites

Dear Senator McCain...

Give him a kiss, you jerk!

...thank you for eliminating much more qualified candidates for President. Thank you for leaving it up to your running mate to speak anything resembling the truth in the 2008 campaign. What we are living through now lays at your feet, Sir. I don't know what those Communists did to you when you were in Viet Nam, but whatever it is caused you at best to be Obama-LIGHT. We'd probably be going down this same path, only at a slower rate, had your mamby pampy self been elected.

Obama is obviously a Marxist and hater of the United States Constitution, a fraud as he took an oath to preserve protect and defend her and he has worked only to trample her and violate her. This disrespect of our most cherished document, the most precious document next to the Bible itself, because it was based on Biblical principles. The demise of a once proud and free nation lays squarely at your feet. The blood of innocents is on your hands. You, were the last line of defense of freedom and Democracy. You failed to speak up in the name of being a "nice guy." All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. I've no idea if you are a good man. I DO know what you did was not. We may never recover from your dropping the ball of freedom, because the Radical Left has taken over the nations newspapers and television networks and the so called "public" schools and turned them into mere propaganda tools of large "C" and small "c" communists.

Now, we seem to have to choose from the likes of Mitt Romney, who seems to be their paper tiger to knock down in the general election so that Obama can fulfill his Marxist dream of being the American equivalent of Fidel Castro. There doesn't seem to be a "winnable" challenger in the Republican ranks. You and your ilk have reduced the Republican Party to just a less Marxist bunch.

I voted for you last time, Sir, and I nearly vomited in the process.

I hope you are proud of yourself.

Country Miusic...

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Country music...

by Johnny Roebuck on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 1:36pm ·

...it doesn't have to mean hick.

One of my favorite episodes of the Carol Burnett show had Vicki Lawrence doing a parody of a country song where she spelled out every word. IT was an obvious take off on "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" that was the current song of Tammy Wynett showed the absurdity of some of country music. One line said her boyfriend "S-P-L-I-T" It was some funny stuff.

Though the word "redneck" has taken on a new glorified meaning, country music doesn't have to mean redneck. Redneck in the '60s sense, means backward, glorifying in being ignorant (the white version of "ghetto" but I can't stand the term "white trash" which has also come to be glorified) I coined a word "grit" when the meaning of redneck was being so changed. There's nothing wrong with being country and nothing wrong with being what you want to be as long as you don't glorify in being or seeming ignorant. Willful ignorance is not only unattractive, it's stupid!

What has that to do with music? Everything. Country music progressed from its roots and then, SOME say went back to them, but in doing so, some of the country singers has disrespected other genres. "Piece of My Heart" and "Summertime Blues" are just a couple of examples.

I couldn't believe my ears the first time I heard "Redneck Woman." Really? Proud of yourself that you leave your Christmas tree lights on? But over the years I've recognized the humor of that song.

While I love the old masters of Country and no one represents it more that the Old Possum, George Jones, some of the early stuff, guys looked up to get the "why would he sound like that on purpose?" reaction. I did a parody of one of these and the reaction was positive, but the fan of this "artist" did not recognize the fact that I was making fun.

Don't get me wrong. Even in the old days, there were great artists like Ernest Tubb, then came Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves and the great Marty Robbins. These guys had class, but they were still Country.

By the time Ricky Van Shelton came along, the big wigs of the industry wouldn't promote anyone who didn't sing with that nasal sound and a hick style. That's tragic.

There's no better country song than "I'll Leave this World Loving You."

To me, as a person who's been a "country dj" several times, there's not enough variety in the country music field and too much novelty. Country has always been about the "hook line" but lately, it's been for me, the SINKER.

There's not enough of the stuff in the middle. This is where my love, Rock 'n' roll was born, when Elvis and others combined a little of ALL of it into that marvelous stew that will always be the best to me.

Wow, you can say the "f" word repeatedly. Great. Now, can you write and sing some rock 'n' roll?

What Ever Happened to...

Delores Hart who played Elvis' leading lady in "Loving You" and "King Creole?" She's a nun. She'll soon walk the red carpet at the Emmies for a documentary about her group. Sorry, I don't know much about Catholicism. But Delores was seen as the next big female film star at the time she did the films with Elvis. She was not dis-similar to Grace Kelly and was poised for super-stardom, but felt the call of God on her life and became a nun.

Early Sign of Things to Come

I've always thought of Paul McCartney as the person who turned the focus on bass guitar. This is mainly because the Beatles had in effect three lead guitarists. George Harrison is credited as lead and played lead on many of the early Mop Top hits, but Paul is as good, if not better at it and it can be witnessed in his basically playing lead on bass in songs as diverse as "Rain" and "I Want You (She's So Heavy."

When rockabilly ruled the teenage airwaves, it was most often stand up or "slap" bass, that huge fiddle, for lack of another word, but during the recording of the soundtrack of "Jailhouse Rock" Elvis gave us a glimpse of what was in store. He played bass on "You're So Square (Baby, I Don't Care" which was the main groove of the song.

It wasn't until nearly a decade later that bass guitar played such an up front role in rock n roll. Here's a picture of Elvis during that session and holding the bass guitar and talking to Bill Black. The caption could read, "Your days are numbered, buddy!"